Friday morning links

TOP STORIES
• Microsoft, Amazon.com Plummet on ‘Ugly Numbers’ - Bloomberg
• Traders Profit With Computers Set at High Speed - NY Times
• Central banks and regulation: Rulers of last resort - Economist
• California Pension Fund Hopes Riskier Bets Will Restore Its Health - NY Times
• Two cheers for a more diverse journalistic ecosystem - Time
• How CNBC Dennis Kneale Begged for Blogger Bile - Gawker
• Fed Has Become ‘Embroiled’ in Politics, Poole Says - Bloomberg
• Looking for an exit - EconBrowser

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MARKETS/INVESTING
• Oil holds above $67 amid improving US economy - AP
• WGC: Gold outperforms other traditional inflation hedges - MineWeb
• Sentiment has now risen back to dangerous levels - MarketWatch
• Treasuries Fall as U.S. Prepares Record $115B in Sales - Bloomberg
• Stock market rally pits optimists vs. skeptics - USA Today
• Oil price: where next? - The Oil Drum

ECONOMY
• Hope Builds for Economy Amid Positive Reports - Wash. Post
• Jobless Checks for Millions Delayed as States Struggle - NY Times
• Bankers Bet Jobs on a Roaring V-Shaped Recovery - Bloomberg
• Home resales rise for third straight month in June - MarketWatch
• College graduates move back home - CNN/Money

INTERNATIONAL
• UK GDP falls faster than expected - Guardian
• Iceland's banking crisis: Pelt tightening - Economist
• Europe Manufacturing Contraction Slows, Confidence Rises - Bloomberg
• China's urban jobless rate hits 4.3%: state media - MarketWatch
• South Korea's economy sees gain in second quarter - MarketWatch
• Germany's looming credit crunch: A reluctant patient - Economist
• The recession is over. Cue the painful recovery - Globe Investor
• Rebalancing the world economy: Dropping the shopping - Economist

REAL ESTATE
• Existing home sales show signs of recovery - AP
• Good news from the housing market? - Huffington Post
• Home sales up. Has the market bottomed out? - CSM
• Struggling homeowner turns to song, Web - SF Gate

FED/TREASURY/BANKING
• Rep. Grayson Questions Bernanke On Dollar Swaps - Naked Capitalism
• Bernanke sends mortgage rates lower - CNN/Money
• Fisher against more Treasury purchases - MarketWatch
• Accountants Gain Courage to Stand Up to Bankers - Bloomberg

INTERESTING
• Bardem Snubs 'Wall Street' Sequel - Forbes
• Does Obama talk too much for his own good? - MarketWatch
• Obama Approval 49% Among U.S. Investors, 87% Overseas - Bloomberg
• Principal fired for jumping on students in cafe - AP

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